Bulletproof Heart
by marzya
Summary: They both knew their hearts were strong, but now it was time to prove it to each other.
1. Chapter 1

So uh, yeah, I thought I'd try giving my hand at a Chronicle fanfiction. :P Please no hating, I'm already hating myself as it is with this story because one of the later chapters which I'm writing is not cooperating with me. xD Oh, and also, I'm still debating whether or not this is going to be rated T or M, because I'm still plotting out the second half of this story, which pretty much determines the rating. So far it's leaning towards M, but I'm keeping it at T until I'm sure of it because there isn't really anything questionable for the T rating in this story at the moment.

* * *

><p><strong>I. First Sight<strong>

Andrew Detmer was a curious teenager.

However, could you really blame him? He had an abusive father whose on-the-job injury forced him into retirement and a mother suffering from stage four cancer. No one in school really liked him, save for his cousin Matt Garetty, whom he never really talked to anyway. And now, he decided he'd record everything that went on in his life, taking down the imminent barrier between him and whoever happened to watch all the footage – not that he was planning on that, but still. There was that possibility.

But… after that one fateful day he, Matt, and wannabe future politician slash new found friend Steve Montgomery found that hole in the woods during the rave, things had changed.

He became different. He became stronger.

Keeping his abilities secret just became harder every day. The urge to use it upon those he disliked increased by the hour it seemed. It didn't feel any different as he felt someone bump into him from where he was at his locker.

Gritting his teeth, he shut his locker door, prepared for the worst. His face hard and grip on his camera tight, he turned to see who had decided to pick on him so early in the morning (_Man, school hasn't even started yet, _Andrew thought, frustrated). But what he wasn't prepared for was the girl kneeling on the ground, quickly gathering the books she had dropped.

He stood there, camera still in hand, staring at her in shock more than anger. His mind drew a blank, and before he could even think about assisting her, she was already standing back up, books in hand.

"U-Um, sorry," she apologized hastily. Andrew still stared. "I didn't see where I was going…" Her eyes went to the camera in his hands.

He blinked. Did she just apologize? Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he said, "It's… It's okay." He said this monotonously, like he said just about anything nowadays. His face held no expression. Noticing she was still eyeing the camera, he explained, "I've just decided I'm going to… record things… in my life now…" He slowed down and eventually faded out, realizing how idiot that idea must sound to her. He mentally scolded himself.

It was the girl's turn to stare as she nodded, and they stood awkwardly like that for a few more seconds. Suddenly the bell rang and the girl's eyes widened. "Oh, I have to get going!" Andrew didn't reply, and she just swallowed and nodded again. "Well, I guess I'll see you around." She walked past him and down the hall, and he turned after her, not quite sure what to think.


	2. Chapter 2

**II. Introduction**

"Hey, do you guys know who that is?"

Matt looked up from his textbook, Steve from his phone, and both followed the direction Andrew was looking toward. A girl with black hair was walking across the courtyard, bag slung over her shoulder and a few books in her hand. She was alone, but she looked toward no one and said nothing.

"She's new, isn't she?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, I have her in a few of my periods," Andrew replied.

"She's kind of cute!" Matt playfully elbowed his cousin with a smirk, who lightly shoved him away.

"Are you going to try and talk to her?" Steve asked another question.

Andrew was silent for a few moments. "Even if I did, it's too late now." The girl had already disappeared, walking out onto the sidewalk and turning the corner.

There was more silence, Matt continuing to read and Steve replying to a text he'd received. Andrew sat there, staring at the table with his arms crossed upon it. He gave a glance to his camera, which he'd left to sit at the head of the table to watch all three of them. He readjusted the camera's angle absentmindedly. Suddenly he jumped at Steve's rather abrupt interruption, and he sighed silently, knowing he'd jolted the camera a bit at the scare.

"Some people are saying that new bakery down the street is really good," Steve said.

"Dude, since when have you been into bakeries?" Matt inquired. "They're like, girly."

"Oh, and you haven't been to a bakery before?"

"Of course I have! It's just –"

"Point made!"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, dude, seriously…"

Andrew easily blocked out their teasing banter. In the distance he could see Wayne and a few of his friends walking in their direction. He slid his camera toward him and stood up, slinging his backpack onto one of his shoulders. He turned the camera to face Steve and Matt. "You wanted to go to that bakery right? Come on, let's get out of here."

* * *

><p>The bakery wasn't too far from their school, it having been only a few blocks down the street. It was made obvious by the large "Grand Opening" banner beneath the bakery's name: La Boulangerie [1]. It still looked calm in there, but it wouldn't be too long before people began flooding in. Fridays right after school were usually slow. The three boys walked across the parking lot of the plaza, playing around and moving a car or two to different parking spaces just for the heck of it.<p>

"So this is it," Steve spread his arms wide as they stepped onto the concrete walkway.

A bell jangled quietly atop the entrance door as they entered, and as they filed in, one right after the other, they stood there awkwardly, not really knowing what to do. Andrew opted to scan the room via his camera, making sure the lens caught everything. He followed behind Steve and Matt, who'd gone up to the counter to look at the menu.

"Hey, welcome to La Boulangerie," a boy about their age came up to stand on the other side of the counter, a friendly and laid back smile upon his face.

The three boys ordered quickly, since, as if on cue, their stomachs growled. Each ordered what they preferred, and Steve paid for everything. They proceeded to then find their own seats in the still almost empty bakery. They conversed quietly, since it seemed that speaking too loudly would just break the oddly serene silence. A few more people began showing up, and by the time their order had arrived almost half the bakery's seats were filled.

Andrew left his camera sitting at the edge of the table toward them, and when he'd accidentally spilled some of his food on his jacket, he groaned. "I'm going to go get some napkins." He didn't wait for a reply, standing up and heading to the counter.

"Uh, excuse me…" Andrew spoke as he reached the counter. There was someone kneeling down across the counter but toward the wall, looking for something in the cabinet. They stood up and turned around, and Andrew's subconscious tapping against the granite counter halted at the face he saw.

"It's you," the girl from school smiled. Her brown orbs were bright, and Andrew couldn't help but think she looked pretty cute in the apron she wore over her normal clothes.

"You work here?" he asked.

"Yeah," she shrugged, "My parents decided to build their bakery here, so, I move with it as well I guess."

"That's cool," Andrew smiled slightly.

Back at the table, Steve got Matt's attention. "Hey, man, check it out!" Matt looked toward the counter and wasn't able to keep down his smile at seeing his cousin talk with the girl from school. Who knew she worked here? And he was talking about things other than asking for napkins, surely, because it wouldn't take that long to ask for napkins. Matt's eyes went to the camera that still faced to them, and he rotated it on its spot to Andrew and the girl.

"Andrew's totally hitting it up with that chick!" Matt commented between snickers, and Steve began to laugh too.

Andrew watched as the girl's eyes turned to look somewhere over his shoulders, and he blinked in confusion. But then chuckles began to reach his ears, all too familiar chuckles, and he narrowed his eyes. Those two had the camera turned this way. He just knew it.

"J-Just ignore them," he gained the girl's attention again. "They're always like that."

The girl watched him for a second before she chuckled a little herself. "Somehow, I buy that."

Andrew smiled, before noticing the stain on his jacket, which brought him to what he was supposed to ask in the first place. "Oh, um, do you have napkins?"

"Sure we do," the girl replied, reaching under the counter. She pulled out a small pile of napkins out and slid them across the tabletop surface. Andrew picked them up. "Thanks."

"No problem."

He was then about to walk away, but stopped himself. He turned back around and said, "I'm Andrew, by the way."

The girl smiled. "Emiri."

Andrew tossed the name in his head a bit. Emiri… He liked it. "I'll see you around, Emiri." He wore a small smile he couldn't seem to wipe off his face as he walked back toward the table. Matt and Steve were both still laughing as he sat down, wiping the stain on his jacket. They still hadn't stopped after he'd gotten the stain out and rotated the camera back to them, and he rolled his eyes. "I'd stab you both or something if so many people weren't starting to come inside." Indeed, people were now beginning to enter the bakery, and Andrew noticed Emiri take a deep breath from where she stood behind the counter. The boy that had helped him, Matt, and Steve came to relieve her, and she smiled widely before walking to the back.

"Sorry, man, it's just… this is monumental!" Matt managed to say as he calmed down.

"One for the history books!" Steve added in, and he and Matt shared a high five.

Andrew sighed, going back once more to tinkering with his camera.

* * *

><p>[1] - La Boulangerie is French for "The Bakery," and it's such a boring name because I'm an uncreative piece of crap. xD<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

**III. Interaction**

"Hey, you," Emiri greeted as she leaned against the locker next to Andrew's.

Andrew looked to her and smiled a bit. He readjusted his backpack, which sat on his shoulders, as he turned to her. "Hey."

"I… see you've got your camera with you," Emiri looked at the device in Andrew's hands. Andrew only nodded, and she tilted her head to the side. Then she asked, "Do you ever stop recording?"

"No. Why? Does it bother you?"

Emiri shrugged. "I'll be fine."

The bell rang, signaling the beginning of the five minute countdown until school officially began. "I have first period with you, don't I? Let's go together." Before Andrew could say anything, Emiri lightly gripped his arm and pulled him along with her down the hall. Andrew's eyes shot to the ground and his feet, as he felt his cheeks heat up slightly. He swore he heard a few murmurs and snickers as he walked. When they turned into the classroom, Emiri let go of him, finding herself a seat. Andrew followed behind and sat in the desk next to her.

They still had about two minutes to spare, and the teacher hadn't even entered class yet. Andrew sneaked a glance to Emiri, who was opening up her binder and writing something down. He set his hand atop his camera, which was sitting on his desk, and considered subtly rotating it to face her. Deciding against it, he retracted his hand. He looked toward the door as he pursed his lips, and he frowned when he noticed his cousin and Steve standing at the door.

Matt gave him a thumbs-up and Steve laughed. Andrew grit his teeth, looking back toward Emiri for a second to make sure she hadn't seen anything – she hadn't. He turned back around and flipped them off. They proceeded to leave, but the wide smiles never left their faces.

* * *

><p>After school, Andrew and Emiri had caught up with Matt and Steve. Andrew hadn't really talked to them at all that day, since he'd been distracted hanging out with Emiri. They got along really well, and even as the camera was on and still recording as they talked, she had no problem with it. Every now and then she'd even ask questions about it and look into its lens and smile what Andrew thought was a very pretty smile. Wayne hadn't approached him even once today, which was new. He was constantly on his guard for that guy, but his muscles had slowly relaxed into a laid back state as the day went on.<p>

It was a good day – for once.

"Um, Matt, Steve…" Andrew began quietly.

Even over the loud conversations on the grass and the roar of the engines of cars, Matt and Steve heard him. They turned around, and their smiles returned at seeing Emiri trail behind Andrew.

"This is Emiri," Andrew introduced as Emiri came to a stop next to him.

"Hey, I'm Matt," Matt gave a small wave.

"Steve," said boy nodded.

Emiri smiled brightly. "It's nice to meet you both."

There was silence for a moment before Matt asked, "You're going to the bakery today, aren't you, Emiri?"

Emiri nodded. "I work there Mondays through Fridays with my brother."

"Your brother?"

"Yeah. You know, the one that helped you guys yesterday when you came in." Emiri's phone sounded as she received a text, and she opened it up. The boys noticed her eyes widen slightly before she put her phone away. "Crap, I didn't realize how long it's been! I was supposed to be there ten minutes ago!"

"Well we can always give you a ride," Matt offered.

Emiri looked up at him. "You'd really do that?"

"Any friend of Andrew's is a friend of ours," Steve grinned.

Andrew stared at Matt and Steve for second before all four of them then began to walk toward Matt's car. Once inside, Matt started up the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. The short drive felt even shorter as all of them conversed like they'd been friends for years. Even Andrew found himself smiling widely as he panned his camera around the car's interior. His hands never left it, not having the camera roam around the car freely like he usually allowed it to. Emiri would never know about any of their powers – not his, Matt's, or Steve's – and it seemed as if all three of them had agreed to keep it secret from the moment she'd been introduced to them.

Andrew, with his smile wider than it had ever been, and his happiness reaching a height he never thought it'd be capable of, felt, for once, like he truly belonged.

* * *

><p>The chapter after this is being a total nightmare to write. -_- Well, I'm off to rewrite its entire second half... T_T<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

It feels good to write at least SOMETHING after so long (a week or two just about :P)! I had a narrative essay project in English due today though, so I wrote that, but it wasn't fanfiction like the one I wrote last year, so it wasn't as fun. x) Anyway, I couldn't seem to decide on a song to listen to while writing this, and it kept me distracted, so this took sometime to write. xD Oh, and I'm having a match with two people on Draw Something, so that's keeping me busy as well. :P

Okay, I've never done this before, and I thought this story would be a great place to try it...

Hey! Thanks to **clw317**, **Azula Malfoy **(I love your username, by the way!), **CuteSango07**, and **jaa162 **for reviewing! You guys are seriously awesome! And yes, I love all you ghost readers too. :)

* * *

><p><strong>IV. Attraction<strong>

"This week you will be given an assignment and you're to work in teams…"

As soon as those words left the teacher's mouth at the beginning of his lecture, numerous pairs of eyes darted around the classroom, hoping to meet the gaze of a friend or a crush. No one was quite paying attention to what the actual assignment was about, but then a handout was set on each desk, which served for them to zone out even more. Andrew sat in his desk, slouching forward and head low as he absentmindedly read the paper, blocking out the teacher's voice. He'd be the one left without a partner again – typical. Pretty much anyone who he'd be paired up with felt bad more for themselves than him, but that was expected. He'd be surprised if anything otherwise occurred.

"So go ahead and find who you'll be working with," the teacher said, and soon desks were screeching as they slid slightly from the speed of some people standing up to claim their partner before someone else could. Andrew stayed where he was, eyes not even rising to see who had who.

"Mr. Detmer." Andrew's eyes shot up at the call of his name. The classroom was silent as everyone turned to the teacher. "Where is your partner?"

"U-Um…" Andrew stuttered out quietly, eyes going back down to his desk. His heart wasn't even pounding anymore like it used to whenever he was singled out like this. But now he was used to it.

"I'm his partner, sir," an all too familiar voice sounded from behind him.

The teacher's looked behind Andrew, and he smiled. "Ah, Emiri, it's so good of you to volunteer."

There were a few giggles and snickers resounding in the classroom, but the teacher looked around, and silence was once more reigning. Andrew sighed. Leave it to the teacher to make it seem like he was some sort of abomination that no one wanted to be near. Sometimes he wondered why he even came to school anymore…

Oh, that's right: his dad that would kill him if he missed even one day.

"I didn't volunteer, sir. I had it in mind the entire time."

"I see," the teacher nodded slowly. He turned to the rest of the class and said, "You have the rest of the period to work on the points on your handout. Those points are to be done by the end of this week." As soon as he was at his desk, the chattering began.

Andrew turned around in his seat, setting his arm on the desk behind him. Emiri smiled at him as if nothing had happened.

"You 'had it in mind the entire time'?" Andrew repeated, eyebrow raised.

Emiri shrugged. "Yeah, even before he let us find partners. I couldn't exactly give you eye contact since I sit behind you."

"But why?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well…" Andrew trailed off. He continued, but this time in a quieter voice, causing Emiri to lean forward. "You have other friends in this class, so why me?"

"You're my _best _friend, silly. There's a difference," Emiri's smile changed from her normal bright and toothy one to a grin that Andrew could see truly meant what she said. He found himself smiling a little too. Best friend, huh? He liked the sound of that.

* * *

><p>"<em>Here's my address. Just come over tomorrow and we can start working on the final project," Andrew handed Emiri a piece of paper.<em>

_Emiri looked at it then nodded. "This isn't too far from where I live. I'll walk over."_

"_Emiri! Get back to work!"_

_Said girl turned around to see one of the more snippy employees of La Boulangerie glaring daggers from behind the counter. Though Emiri was one of the children of the bakery's owners, no one was saved from that lady's cynical tendencies. She nodded frantically and turned back around to face Andrew. "I'll see you then!"_

* * *

><p>Emiri double checked the address before knocking on the front door. She backed up and waited patiently for an answer. She clutched her jacket closer to herself as the wind blew. The door then opened, and a man she assumed to be Andrew's father stood there. He stared at her, and she was too nervous to say anything because of his intimidating appearance.<p>

"Who are you?" he asked bluntly.

Emiri frowned slightly, but tried to put on a neutral face as she sighed. "I'm Andrew's friend."

"Andrew doesn't have any friends."

_There's Steve and Matt… _Emiri couldn't keep the frown off her face, and it was very evident, if the scowl on the Mr. Detmer's face was anything to go by. "Well, I'm here, and I'm pretty sure I count as a friend."

Mr. Detmer narrowed his eyes and Emiri swallowed, wondering if that last sentence of hers was going too far.

"Dad, what are you doing?" Emiri looked past Mr. Detmer to see Andrew walking up.

Mr. Detmer turned his glare down to his son, who swallowed as he stared back. He then walked back into the house. Andrew turned to Emiri, who smiled at him, acting as if nothing had happened at all. He ushered her into the house and led her to his bedroom. He shut the door behind her as she set her backpack down on his bed.

"Sorry about him," Andrew said.

"There's no need to apologize," Emiri replied kindly.

Andrew felt himself blush slightly. He looked to Emiri, who proceeded to sit on the bed, taking out the stuff she brought for their project. He sat down next to her, grabbing up his own bag from the floor and digging around in it for the things they needed. His eyes were still glued to his bag as he grabbed out things, and without turning toward the camera he proceeded to slowly lift it off the desk so that it could get a different view from around the room. But suddenly he remembered Emiri sitting in front of him and looked up, making sure she didn't notice. Her eyes were still looking down at her notebook, and Andrew breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He looked to his camera, which was hovering a few inches in the air, and gently sat it back down on the desk.

* * *

><p><em>A couple of hours later… <em>

"Hey, Emiri?"

"Yeah, Andrew?"

"Why do you choose to hang out with me?"

Emiri laughed, and Andrew frowned, thinking he'd said something wrong. "You're really something, you know? Earlier this week you ask me why I partner up with you, and now you're asking why I even hang out with you?" She laughed some more, while Andrew's frown stayed, before calming down, and said, "I like you, that's why."

Andrew stared at her for a moment. What did she mean by like? He knew what he meant by liking her, but he couldn't just assume the same would be for her. No, he _wouldn't_ do that. She was the first friend he had that was a girl and he wasn't going to screw this up. She was everything most girls at school weren't. She didn't mind his father's mean nature, she didn't mind hanging out with the one that bullies liked to pick on, and she didn't mind that his camera was with him and recording wherever he went.

He looked down and nodded. "I… see."

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he glanced up. Emiri looked at him, a concerned look on her face. "Hey, are you all right?"

Swallowing, he nodded, and Emiri's hand slipped off his shoulder, going back to her side. He didn't lift his head again, but went back to writing. She watched him for a bit, noticing his quick writing as she heard his pencil against the paper. He didn't look all right to her, if she had anything to say about it. She felt like asking him again, to get him to tell the truth and show him that he could trust her, but she didn't want him to feel put on the spot. However, she couldn't help but frown at the stoic look marring what would've been his very handsome face.

Why was he always frowning so much? If Matt and Steve and her and their friendship were anything to go by, he had at least _some _reason to smile. Just once. Just… once.

There was loud knocking on Andrew's room door and Emiri jumped at the sudden interruption, trying hard not to put a hand to her chest in an effort to calm her rapidly beating heart. Andrew, in contrast, just looked to the room door calmly, his frown even more prominent.

"Hey, it's time for that friend of yours to go home now," Mr. Detmer said harshly.

Andrew sighed and looked to Emiri, who had a small smile on her face, and said, "Let me walk you out."

They walked out to the living room and Andrew opened the front door. Emiri stepped through it, but turned around. "Thanks for letting me come over."

Andrew shrugged. "No problem."

"So I'll see you on Monday?"

"I'll see you on Monday," Andrew smiled.

Emiri smiled back. "Great, I'll catch you later then!" And with that, she was walking off and down the sidewalk.

Andrew shut the door and walked back toward his room, but not even a minute later his mind went back to Emiri, and then to how dark it was outside. He ran to his desk and paused his camera, for once, and shut it off, before heading back to the front door and stepping outside.

He looked down the street in the direction Emiri had gone. He knew she didn't live far, and from what she'd told him before, it was halfway the route to the bakery from his house. Making sure his father didn't notice his departure, he flew up into the air and slowly moved along the street, looking for his friend. Once he got sight of her, he slowly tailed her from above, making sure nothing happened to her and that she was safe.

Emiri walked silently, her shoes lightly sounding against the concrete sidewalk and her breath materializing in front of her from the cold. There was a very quiet, almost inaudible, whistle of wind and she quickly came to a halt. She looked around her to see if there was anyone nearby, but she saw no one. Shrugging it off, she continued her trek back home. It must've been her imagination.

* * *

><p>I hope to have chapter five out before this weekend because I'll be out of town for four days starting on Saturday. This story is going to be ten chapters total and knowing that I'll be halfway done by the time my trip comes around will make me feel good about myself. xD It's likely that I'll have it out by then because it's only a three day week at school. :D That's a load off my shoulders.<p>

Au revoir! - Wolfe116 :)


	5. Chapter 5

HOLY FREAKING SHIT.

I didn't realize how many people had put alerts on this story and I apologize for being gone for so long! :O I feel horrible now. Dx But here's your new chapter! I hope it isn't really bad or anything. I'm a bit pressed for time but I really wanted to get this out today. So sorry if it like, doesn't make sense. I may go back and fix some things but until then, chapter five awaits you!

EDIT: So uh, I forget (A LOT) whose reviews I replied to and stuff, so I might just reply to them in new chapters so I don't skip anyone. Because I love to read the reviews you people leave me, and it's just, sometimes I don't remember if I replied or not and I don't want to look like a creep. xD And if I replied to you already, well, you can have the joy of reading one again. :P

CuteSango07: I can only imagine that Andrew wouldn't be so trusting, especially with his lifestyle. :O But indeed, Emiri stated that she liked him, so in time, perhaps, he'll open up to her? ;)

HauntedMonster: Thank ya. :D

DieForPie: Yes, the path Andrew takes in the film certainly isn't bright... but hey, why not give him a little bit of light in this story here? :)

Little Ms LBP: Thanks!

Carolinefdq: This story isn't abandoned. :D And thank you!

* * *

><p><strong>V. Date<strong>

Andrew found himself toying with his camera again, which he set down inside his locker, the lens facing out towards him. He sighed as he absentmindedly pressed buttons here or changed a switch there, ignoring the verbal jabs directed at him from other seniors walking in the hall. He'd only be here until Emiri met up with him. She had stayed back to talk with a teacher in one of the classes.

"Andrew."

Said boy turned at the sound of his name and gave a small grin as his friend walked up to him. Her hands held no books, given that it was Friday, and teachers were actually nice enough not to give a lot of homework (more than what couldn't be done in class anyway). Her bag was sitting nonchalantly on her shoulder. Andrew grabbed his camera and shut his locker, smile widening when Emiri flashed one of her own at the camera with a small wave.

"Let's get out of here," he said.

Emiri nodded. "Let's."

They were walking in the direction of La Boulangerie so that Emiri could say hello to her brother like she usually did on her days off, but then Andrew's conflicting thoughts inside his mind made themselves known again, as if they hadn't been plaguing him all day already. He glanced at Emiri, who strode alongside him casually. His eyebrows furrowed, though he hoped she didn't notice, as he forced himself to decide on an answer and silence the chaos within his head.

"Um, Emiri..."

It had taken him an entire day to muster up some much needed courage.

"Yes?" Brown orbs looked his way.

"Do you maybe want to… uh… go somewhere else today?"

"Like where?"

Andrew swallowed, his heartbeat suddenly picking up in pace. This was turning out all wrong. "Um… maybe like, the park?" He was reconsidering that, but seeing as it'd already left his mouth, he didn't take it back.

"You mean…" A pause. "Like a date?"

"Y-Yeah…" He didn't know how he was still conscious now. He was short on breath, and he could feel his heart pounding. He was sure she could hear it too.

Emiri was silent for a second, which was beginning to pretty much crush his confidence, but then she spoke up:

"Sure, we'll go!" She turned to him and smiled widely.

If he wasn't imagining it (which he really hoped he wasn't), he thought he could see pink tingeing her cheeks.

* * *

><p>The lake was unsettled as ducks swam about on its surface, the trees blew gently in the sway of the wind, and the park resounded with the chorus of children's laughter. Andrew and Emiri walked on the concrete pathway that went throughout the park, taking their time. Emiri slowed down as they approached the lake, and Andrew had to stop a few feet ahead when he realized she wasn't keeping up. He turned to her and saw she'd left the path to kneel at the edge of the lake where a few ducks had congregated.<p>

He grinned and walked over, keeping his camera in a tight grip as he kneeled down beside her. "You like ducks?"

"I love ducks," Emiri beamed. "They're one of my favorite animals."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, and one time, at my old school, there was a duck on campus. No one knew how it got there though, because the lake was far away. Someone took it back safely thankfully." [1]

Andrew allowed himself to chuckle.

There was the familiar high pitch ring of an ice cream cart and both his and Emiri's heads turned simultaneously to see one setting up under the shade of a large tree. Andrew glanced at his friend, eyeing the glint in her eyes, then turned back to the cart. "Want some ice cream?"

Emiri pursed her lips in embarrassment. "Was it that obvious?"

Andrew didn't try hiding it. "Yeah."

* * *

><p>The sun was almost hidden behind the horizon when Andrew had walked Emiri back safely to her home. Chances were his father would start to get pissed about his whereabouts and not being home yet if he didn't get a move on soon, but then he thought: <em>Screw him. I have nothing to worry about. Not with… <em>He couldn't finish that sentence, but in the recesses of his mind, he knew exactly what was keeping him from worrying.

"Thanks, Andrew." Emiri looked up at him, her hands behind her back, smiling.

He eyed her posture and how awfully cute it made her look, before shaking his head slightly before the pause became obvious. "No problem."

"Could we maybe… do it again sometime?"

Now that completely caught him off guard. He blinked. "Oh, um… if you want to, sure."

Her smile grew. "That'd be great."

He felt himself smiling with her. "That would be."

It was quiet between them for a moment. For Emiri, she kept silent because she was waiting for Andrew to say something since she couldn't think of anything else, but for Andrew, he kept silent because he had nothing to say. But he didn't mind. This silence was nice, not uncomfortable. Was it the same for her? He wondered. It was one of the times that silence truly was golden.

Feeling impeccably daring all of a sudden, he pointed his camera down at the ground and found himself leaning down slowly. Emiri watched with wide eyes as he did, not sure what to do. She so desperately wanted that contact, yet there was something that was stopping her.

_No, Emiri, I don't trust him._

Her subconscious was out to ruin everything, wasn't it?

_Why? _Emiri shot back.

_There's just… something about him._

_No. I'm not going to listen to you. _She wasn't.

_You'll regret it._

The words were shoved into the back of her mind as she made a move to meet him halfway, her eyes sliding shut. They were so close – _so close_ – that she could feel Andrew's breath fan out on her lips, but then his phone rang, making her jump. She bit her lip and cursed in her head, looking downcast as he glanced at his phone. He cursed audibly. It was his dad, she knew it.

"Sorry, it's –"

"I know." Emiri forced a smile onto her face. "It's okay."

Andrew was quiet, watching her. Was it truly okay? His damn father just went off and wrecked it all. Damn him. _Damn him._

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow then…"

He nodded. "You will."

Nothing more was said after that, but all he could think of as he walked home was how much he hated his father and how much he wanted his mother to be well again. He ached for the days when she was still healthy as ever and when he had her to go to.

Emiri stepped into her house, silent, brooding. Her subconscious just went off and wrecked it all.

* * *

><p>[1] - That happened at my school like, last week. xD<p>

School ends in a few weeks and I'm so stoked! My writing should pick up. It must pick up. O_O Hope you enjoyed! - Wolfe116 :)


	6. Chapter 6

Because I love you all so dearly, I decided to write this chapter out for you guys today. :D I really didn't think I'd get it done today at all actually. xD

iFanboy: Thank you. :D

Carolinefdq: SCHOOL'S END IS SO CLOSE I CAN ALMOST TASTE IT. (Not really, but you know. :P)

DieForPie: Aw, stop it, you! :)

FYInichole: Ha ha, yeah, I was a little late in joining the Chronicle fandom since I didn't see it until after like, a month since it first came out, but hey, better late than never right? :D

CuteSango07: LOL yes, Andrew is a very nice boy. :3 And aw, that's so adorable! xD

HoMeStUcKfAnAtIc: Ah! Here's your update! :D

This chapter jumps around a little, so just bear with me please. x)

* * *

><p><strong>VI. Holding Hands<strong>

"Hey, Emiri!"

Emiri, who was leaning against the railing of the steps in front of the school, turned at the sound of her name, eyes shooting to Steve, who was running up to her. She greeted him with a smile and a small good morning. Andrew and Matt had yet to arrive, so it was just then for now.

"So…" Steve started from his spot standing in front of her, "uh…"

Emiri looked at her friend, an eyebrow raised as she made note of his hesitation. It was odd that he should be someone that didn't have anything to say. He got around well, and she could honestly state that keeping quiet was _not_ what made him so well known. He, of everyone she knew, was never speechless.

Well, except for now. But that was a different story.

"What is it?" she pressed.

Silence reigned for a split second. Until…

"Do you like him?"

"W-What?" Emiri blushed a little. She knew who he was talking about. Oh, she knew. And she didn't understand why before she hadn't ever thought of the possibility of him asking about it. Perhaps it was because she expected Matt to ask instead. It was just a Matt thing to do. She looked up at Steve, but he didn't answer, since he knew she'd see the look in his eyes saying that she couldn't get her way out of this one.

Sighing in defeat, she avoided his gaze. "Um, maybe a little…"

"A little?" Steve burst, causing Emiri to jump slightly. Other students were starting to look at them now and she ducked her head. It was useless though. She'd hung out with Steve, Matt, and Andrew so much that practically everyone knew who she was. If it was for good or bad, to be truthful, she didn't know. She didn't know if she'd ever find out either.

* * *

><p><em>"Hey, Ariadanae."<em>

_Emiri closed her locker lightly, frowning. She turned around only to be shoved back against the cold metal._

_"Warming up to that Andrew kid, are you?" Emiri didn't know the name of the girl confronting her – she didn't bother learning everyone's names – but she did remember that this was one of the not-so-nice seniors of the female gender. _

_She stayed up against the locker, keeping silent. The girl wasn't deterred though. It only served for her to want to continue._

_"I didn't know you had a thing for freaks."_

_Emiri, quiet as ever, stood rooted to the same spot as the girl retreated, laughing all the while. She watched her turn the corner, ignoring the pain of the metal latch of the locker digging into her back._

* * *

><p>Andrew watched his camera as he slowly flew it around the car. Matt drove and talked about things every now and then, to which Andrew would reply with simple one-worded sentences.<p>

"Crap, we're going to be late," Matt stated.

Andrew raised an eyebrow. "Since when did you care about that?"

His cousin shrugged. "You've got a point."

Andrew chuckled. They were only late because he wasn't able to leave the house on time. His father had decided to reprimand him _twice _for coming home rather late the night before. The first time was a scolding and a few shoves that night, but Andrew was defiant and careful not to mention anything about Emiri. After the first time she'd been to his house, he could tell his father didn't like her. The second time was in the morning and – hey, look! He decided to do it _right before he left the house_. Andrew rolled his eyes at the thought of it. Luckily there was no physical contact (_Don't want me going to school with bruises, _he thought with contempt), but the new scolding was just as harsh as if there was.

He didn't know how he was doing it. He'd kept Emiri from finding out about his abilities, he'd kept his father away from her, and he hadn't told her about his mother yet and what she was going through. He didn't know when he'd be able to tell her about the first and third things. He wanted to, he really did, but… those weren't really things you mentioned over lunch or when walking down the hallways.

"You love struck, Andrew?"

"What?" Andrew took the time to glance at Matt.

"Come on. You asked Emiri out on a date yesterday, and if your dad kept you back to talk to you, that must've mean he found out about her, right?"

"No, he doesn't know anything. He kept me back earlier because I got home late from my date with Emiri."

"Oh!" There was a sort of drawl in Matt's voice that made Andrew turn away and attempt to hide the pink starting to tinge his cheeks. He knew what was coming. "Did you have some fun with her afterward?"

"No, you idiot!" Andrew replied quicker than he should've to make his claim believable. "It wasn't like that." Denying it was useless, but he could try.

"Right." Matt smirked as he pulled into the school lot and Andrew drew his camera back to him as they parked in the spot in front of Steve and Emiri.

* * *

><p>"Are you going to tell him?"<p>

Emiri was shaken out of her thoughts at Steve's next question. "In time, sure. Why?"

"You've already gone on a date with him. And in _my _book, that means that you and Andrew are both well on your way to Love Ville."

Emiri stared at him for a moment before laughing, which had him frowning and asking why she was so amused by his declaration. "No one reads this 'book' of yours, Steve!" she stated between laughs. "I don't think anyone ever will!"

Steve's frown slowly turned into a small smile. "Darn, shot down." He turned to see Matt parking his car in the spot directly in front of the school steps where he and Emiri were standing. She looked in the same direction as him and gained her composure, wiping the tears from her eyes and standing up straight.

_Weird, _she remarked to herself as Matt and Andrew exited the car. _I could've sworn Andrew's camera was just flying._

* * *

><p>The bell had rung and Andrew and Emiri were making their way to their first period. They were quiet for the most part, but he was okay with it. She was always tired in the morning. It was usually like this.<p>

What he wasn't expecting was the feeling of her timidly slipping her hand into his without a word. His eyes widened a fraction, and he even saw that other people were noticing their intertwined hands.

But he thought nothing of it. The only thing on his mind was how he quite liked the feel of her hand in his.

* * *

><p>Finals are coming up and I usually finish my tests early so I have free time to write and stuff. I'll have even more time during these exams because our schedule changed this semester and each test is longer. I might jot down my plot for the rest of this story, because everything after this is going to get pretty heavy. I'll hopefully have out the next chapter within the next week or so. :D<p>

You are all awesome! - Wolfe116 :)


	7. Chapter 7

I'M NOT DEAD.

I've just been so busy. It's insane.. O_O

But I've almost been trying to get back into the swing of things with this story. I guess if I leave it for more than a week then my feel for it just starts to leave. So this took a few days to write.

I'm really sorry if this isn't up to par with the other chapters. It's just... this was a challenging chapter and it's sort of late. Plus I have tennis tomorrow. :O

All my lovely reviewers make me feel better though. :)

Carolinefdq: Finals did go well for me. Thank ya. :D

FYInichole: Yeah, Andrew was just the tragic protagonist of a tragic enviroment. -cries-

Starbucks Coffee Rules: Thanks! :)

CuteSango07: LOL I've done that too! Woo! -high five-

DieForPie: OH EM GEE ANDREW IS SO CUTE I KNOW AND HE'S GOING TO TELL EMIRI EVERYTHING... with time, my good lady. ;D

Queen-of-Twilights: Aw, thank you so much!

sweetsweetsacrifice: Thank you!

faeriemaiden96: Here's your update! :D

* * *

><p><strong>VII. First Kiss<strong>

"Emiri, come on, I'm dropping you off at school today," Ryan said as he opened the door to his younger sister's room, peering in to see her picking up her backpack.

Emiri looked at him, a lollipop in her mouth as she slung her backpack onto her shoulder. "I thought I was walking." She usually did anyway.

"I'll save you the trouble."

The younger sibling didn't look so convinced as they made their way downstairs and through the front door to the drive way. Before she could go to her side of the car, she asked, "All right, what do you want from me?" She knew Ryan. He wouldn't have offered her a ride if there wasn't something in it for him. She'd been walking ever since she first started coming to school here!

Ryan stopped next to her in front of the car and gave her something between a nervous and apologetic smile. "Can you cover my shift today… please?"

Emiri deadpanned. "Ryan! Today's my day off!"

"I know, but I kind of have something going on later…"

"Like?"

"A date."

Emiri snorted. "Who would like you?"

Ryan narrowed his eyes at his sister. "Not anybody that concerns you." Emiri's amused expression was still plastered onto her face, so he grabbed the lollipop still in her mouth and pulled it out. "No candy in the morning."

Emiri made a little whining noise as he went to throw the lollipop in the large trash can in the front yard. When they were getting into their respective seats in the car, he asked, "So will you cover me?"

"Well…" Emiri considered for a moment as she buckled her seatbelt. "Sure, for you, I'll cover."

Ryan's face lit up. "Thank you! You're awesome, Emsi!"

Said girl chuckled. "Yeah, yeah."

* * *

><p>Emiri swerved her way around the hall as she strode to her locker. Up to now she was still surprised that there were so many students that showed up to school just ten minutes before the first bell. What she wasn't surprised about was how rowdy they could get this early. That in mind, she quickly dodged two of the high school football players as they tossed a football to each other.<p>

The area around her locker was rather quiet, so she took her time in opening it and getting her stuff out. Not even two minutes later she could hear laughing and the distinct calls of her best friend's name. She sighed and shook her head, organizing her stuff a bit quicker so that she could see what the noise was all about.

Turning the corner into the corridor where Andrew's locker was, she frowned at the sight before her. There were some other seniors picking on him again. It wasn't unusual, Andrew had told her once, but it still did nothing to calm her nerves because he was the center of it. She bit her lip, watching for a moment. Was she really going to do this? Oh, where were Matt and Steve when she needed them…

No, she'd do it herself.

Huffing in determination, she made her way over to one of the larger seniors and set a hand on his shoulder, almost squeezing it. Her nails probably would've hurt him if he hadn't been wearing his letterman jacket. "Hey."

She let go immediately when he turned to her, already beginning to regret her decision. She swallowed nervously as he looked down at her. "What do you want?"

"Just leave him alone, okay?" The others had stopped pestering Andrew to see what was up.

The boy in front of her laughed, causing the others to as well. "Afraid we're going to hurt your boyfriend?"

Emiri frowned but said nothing. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Andrew looking at her. When one of the seniors close to him knocked his camera to the ground, she knew they were going to start right up once more. Not really knowing if they were going to get her too now and not just Andrew, she slowly backed away before any of them could grab her.

"Hey!"

Steve came just in the nick of time to save her and Andrew, with Matt following close behind. Immediately the seniors started backing up, causing the circle of students who'd gathered around to move backwards as well. Steve stood in front of Andrew. "Hey, relax, you guys." He picked up Andrew's camera and handed it back to said boy, who took it and kept his head down. Matt put an arm around Emiri's shoulders and led her down the hall with a quiet "Come on."

When all four of them had successfully left that corridor, Matt dropped his arm from Emiri's shoulders and stopped walking, causing the rest of them to stop also.

"Are you two okay?" Steve asked. He crossed his arms and looked at both Emiri and Andrew as Matt leaned against a locker.

Emiri nodded her head slowly and Andrew answered with a resigned yes. This caused Emiri to glance at him in slight worry. This was starting to really get to him, wasn't it? She didn't blame him. This happened quite a lot. But when she looked to the other two boys, she saw something in their eyes that hinted to her that they knew something she didn't.

* * *

><p>The whole day Andrew didn't talk much, the conversations consisting mostly of Emiri's, Steve's, and Matt's voices. Emiri could honestly say that her worry was starting to grow little by little as the hours, the minutes, the <em>seconds <em>went on. It was only beginning to simmer down (or maybe it was beginning to increase a lot, and she just didn't realize it yet) at the end of the school day when she and Andrew were on their way to La Boulangerie. Matt and Steve were going elsewhere this time, so it was just the two.

"You didn't have to do that earlier, you know," Andrew said suddenly.

Emiri looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"You didn't have to step in."

"But I wanted to."

Andrew stared at her, scrutinizing her. "You're lying, aren't you?"

"What?" Was he serious? "Why would I lie?"

This time he didn't reply, and she blinked, reconsidering the slight sharpness she'd put into the question. Before they could go through the front doors of the bakery, she put a hand on his arm and stopped, turning to him. "Andrew… I don't… like what the others do to you. I know it's been going on before I even came to this school" – she put a hand up when he opened his mouth as a sign that she didn't want to be interrupted – "but I just… wanted to maybe… make things a little better for you… just a bit."

Andrew wore a rather indifferent expression but didn't break Emiri's gaze. As subtly as she could, she moved her hand that was on his arm down to his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Coupled with the small smile she gave him, he found himself squeezing her hand back. "Thanks, Em."

Her smile got wider. "You're welcome." Her smile dropped not even a second later, which was now beginning to worry _him_, but then her free hand went to rest on his shoulder. He swallowed nervously when he saw her glimpse down at his lips. As soon as she looked back into his eyes, he moved closer, a surge of bravery somehow coming over him.

It was an innocent kiss. Simple and held for just a few seconds. But when they pulled away, both felt like it was the best kiss in the world.


	8. Chapter 8

WHY IN THE HELL DO I TAKE SO LONG TO UPDATE?

I don't even know, man. -_-'

Carolinefdq: Cuteness FTW! :3 Yes, I've seen the music video, and it's so much like Chronicle that it amazes me. :O The words and the video and oh, it's so overwhelming! xD And I'll try to get better at updating!

JuneIsAMonth18: Thanks!

Guest (number one, seeing as I have more than one guest review :P): Chronicle is too awesome not to like. xD And alas, your wait is over!

Guest (number two): It's funny actually, as soon as I posted the last chapter I thought, "Emiri sounds like a really... different name." :P And I'm glad that it's readable - 'tis always a good thing. :)

faeriemaiden96: Hooray for sweet endings!

CuteSango07: I'm wondering if the wait bugs me more than it does you, to be honest, because you really seem to not mind. :P But I assure you, this isn't abandoned. The gap between updates is just... yeah... -_- Ha ha, true, Andrew's being a butt because of all that's been happening, but we love him anyway, don't we? :D

duckie1234: I'm glad you do! :)

jaa162: I'll be sure to check your story out sometime! :D

icey: Hm... yes, I'm sticking with the movie's plot for this. I mean, it's not really going to be apparent in the rest of the story (at least, I don't think xD), but I'll answer it anyway just in case. :P

Guest (number three): An update is here!

* * *

><p><strong>VIII. Relationship<strong>

"Hey there," Emiri said with a smile as she ran up to Andrew, linking her hand with his.

Andrew smiled just at the sight of her. It felt nice to be able to smile with little to no coaxing at all. All it took was a little "hello" from Emiri and already his day was better. "Hey yourself," he replied. "Are you working today?"

"No. Ryan's covering my shift today since I covered for him when he went on that date."

"Oh, yeah. How did it go?"

Emiri shrugged. "He didn't say much about her. But what he _did _say of her, I swear it was part of a poem he was writing for her."

Andrew laughed. "What?"

"_Hair like streams of champagne and eyes the epitome of a flourishing forest. A flower in motion._"

Andrew snorted at Emiri's word-for-word repetition of what her brother had said. Wow, maybe Ryan should take up being a writer. Heaven knows he'd make women swoon with the way he strung his words together. Apparently Matt and Steve had heard Emiri as well, since the looks on their faces as they approached were ones of confusion.

"Now I know for a fact that Andrew doesn't have blonde hair or green eyes," Steve started, and at that, Emiri laughed with Andrew. "So who is it that we're talking about here?"

"Ryan's got himself a girlfriend, it seems," Emiri told him.

"Is he serenading her?"

"Where have you been lately, Steve? He has no such talent!" Even Steve couldn't help but smile at that.

"Be nice to your brother." The smile was still on his face as he said this.

"If not telling our parents that he practically tried to stick his tongue down the girl's throat last night on the porch isn't being nice, then I don't know what is."

Matt's jaw dropped. "You're so bad."

Emiri raised an eyebrow. "And… you aren't?"

Andrew glanced at his cousin. "I think she got you there."

"Shut up."

* * *

><p>Andrew had given up trying to do his homework for the past five minutes. Emiri continued on with her own just fine from where she was sitting next to him, bent forward over her work as opposed to his position leaning against the headboard of his bed. He was deep in thought, contemplative. He'd known her long enough, and he trusted her. But how would she take it? No, she wasn't that kind of person. She wouldn't take it <em>that <em>way. Things might be a little bit awkward afterward, but all he could do was hope for the best.

"Emiri?" He could barely get the name out of his mouth.

His girlfriend (it sounded so… foreign, to be able to say that) averted her eyes away from her homework to look at him. "Yes?"

"There's someone I'd… like you to meet."

Emiri nodded slowly, not quite following. "Okay…"

There was no backing out of this now. He pursed his lips and swallowed, standing up. He grabbed his camera from his desk before walking around the front of the bed and to her side, holding a hand out to her. He felt he'd need her hand to hold more than she'd need his for what he was about to do. She took it gently, and he helped her up before guiding her out of the room.

When they approached a certain door, Andrew knocked on it lightly with his free hand. "Mom…?"

Emiri's eyes widened, though he didn't see it.

No answer was heard, but Andrew opened the door as quietly as he could, wincing at the creaking noises it made as he slowed it to stop when there was enough room for him and Emiri to step inside. His mom was watching him and Emiri, who stood slightly behind him, too shy to stand anywhere else.

She smiled, a tired look on her face. "Who's your friend?"

"U-Um… this is Emiri. My girlfriend…"

Her smile seemed to widen. "Emiri dear, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Emiri got slightly braver and stepped to the side, smiling that toothy grin of hers that could make anyone feel better. "It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Detmer."

"What a sweet girl, Andrew. You're very lucky."

"I know." Andrew smiled. Lucky in more ways than one, that was for sure.

* * *

><p>The next day at school, Emiri was relatively quiet. Because she was usually talkative, it only took a whole fifteen seconds of her standing next to him silently while he got books out of his locker for him to think that something was wrong. He paused in the middle of sliding a book into his locker. "Is something the matter?"<p>

Emiri leaned against the locker next to his, keeping a firm grip on his camera. She didn't meet his eyes. "Your mom… she's…"

Andrew slid the book in all the way, keeping his eyes on her. "She's what?"

"She's ill, Andrew." Emiri's eyes when they looked into his weren't filled with the mirth he was used to seeing within them.

"I know she's ill," Andrew said with a quiet sigh as he shut his locker and took his camera back. "But she's getting the medication she needs. She's going to be all right."

Emiri didn't appear as if she believed him, but deciding not to push the subject any further, she nodded. "If there's anything you need me to do, Andrew…"

"I'll let you know." Andrew gave her a reassuring smile and leaned down to kiss her. It was slow and lazy, but he found that he enjoyed it. Any kiss from Emiri he enjoyed, to be honest. They were nice. He had her backed up against the lockers with his free arm around her waist when Steve and Matt interrupted.

"Hey, you two!" Matt said loudly, shocking Emiri and Andrew, the latter almost having dropped his camera. They pulled apart quickly, and Emiri blushed. Matt set his hand on Andrew's shoulder. "Having fun?"

Andrew rolled his eyes. "Up until you came around."

Steve rolled his eyes and chuckled, shoving Matt away lightly. "Yeah, man, learn when _not _to interrupt things."

Matt blinked and feigned cluelessness. "It was a bad time?"

Emiri smiled at him, the joy back in her eyes. "You'll learn, Matt… eventually…"

Andrew thought that it was quite the talent Emiri had to be able to go from downhearted to cheerful in a matter of seconds. He wished he had the ability to do that. He felt that he'd get by a lot easier if he did.

He wondered what it would be like to be able to hide his real emotions behind his eyes.

* * *

><p>That last line is inspired by the song "Behind Blue Eyes" by The Who. I like that song. :P<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

ERMAGERD LOOK WHO UPDATED.

Seriously, you guys, I am really sorry I haven't updated this in so long. My drive for it died for a while, then I got busy with school and sports and stuff like that, but I managed to squeeze in some time to get this done because I love you all dearly. :D I changed the tone of this story a bit more. At least, I feel like I have. I went back and scanned the previous chapters and felt it hadn't been as serious as I wish it could've been, so I'm slowly trying to curb it in a different direction.

I hope to write a new chapter of _Not So Unloved _soon as well. :)

P. S. - I don't really know why I'm still going with these chapter names anymore, since I'm straying from what I originally planned. The old chapters are no longer sitting in my Doc Manager, so I can't go back and remove them. I'm thinking of just omitting the bolded chapter names at the beginning from now on, and changing the Contents to just Chapter One, Chapter Two, etc. A bit sloppy, but I do what I can.

* * *

><p>It had been Emiri's idea to do homework at the park today. There was a cluster of large rocks down by the lake, and a few were smoothed out enough that they could sit comfortably. The weather was considerably warm today. There was a slight breeze, rustling the pages of their textbooks. The ducks quacked as an elderly couple fed them pieces of bread, and off in the distance, Andrew could see kids playing on the playground. He looked back down at the notebook sitting on his lap, and blinked when he realized he hadn't actually begun his work yet. When he glanced up, Emiri was staring at him with a small smile.<p>

"Enjoying yourself?"

He smiled back, moving to grab his pencil and actually start his homework. "Yeah."

"Well, don't get _too _distracted," she chuckled. "There's plenty of work to be done."

She went back to her own homework immediately, and Andrew found himself lingering on her face: her chocolate orbs as she scanned the book before her; her black hair sloppily tied into a ponytail; the thin line of her mouth as she concentrated.

_Who is she to me?_ Andrew frowned slightly as he pondered this. _She's my girlfriend_. Yes, that was true. But what else was she? _She's my best friend. _And someone he knew he couldn't live without. Not after having met her. If one day she suddenly disappeared, no word of her leaving or anything, he'd feel like there was a hole in his life that couldn't be replaced. Days would be blander, hours would move slower, life would be... awfully quiet. He didn't want her to just… vanish, but what of his… _abilities_, then?

He swallowed the lump in his throat as he stared down at the hand he had resting atop his notebook. The power coursing through his veins, flowing within him, would it be too much for her? For her to believe, to understand, to _accept_? What he possessed sounded like a bedtime story, a science-fictional fairy tale told to the kids whose imaginations ran wild with thoughts of aliens and advanced technology and superhuman abilities. The last one Andrew would've pegged as a fictional story too, if not, well, for him and Steve and Matt. They were proof that aspects of the science-fiction realm were indeed possible. But they weren't about to tell anyone. They couldn't risk doing that.

But then there was Emiri.

Andrew felt like he could trust her. He trusted her with so much already, so why not this?

_This is much more than an ill mother_.

It was easy for kids to believe such things when they were younger – hell, it was what they _dreamed _of witnessing! Each day they'd go to bed hoping that the next day, they'd wake up with a giant robot sitting outside their window. Well, that was what Andrew used to hope for anyway. But people got older, and before one knew it, these kids were no longer kids, but teenagers and adults and elderly. Fairytales deteriorated into fairy dust, carried away with the wind and forgotten with time.

* * *

><p>"Andrew, are you <em>insane<em>?"

"Yeah, man, I think you're getting way in over your head on this one."

Andrew sighed. He knew this wasn't going to help anything. Telling Steve and Matt of his plan was a stupid move on his part. They just wouldn't get it – wouldn't get how close he felt to Emiri, so close that he had a _gut feeling _that despite the (at first) absurdity and (later on) dangerousness of his secret, she'd be okay with it.

"Guys," Andrew sighed again, "I know she'll be fine. She's understanding."

"But this isn't exactly an everyday secret. This is big." Steve even spread his arms out for emphasis.

Matt nodded in agreement. "It'll sound like you watched one too many sci-fi movies as of late."

"You don't know her like I do." He could sit here and try to argue with them all day, but it would be in vain. Their opinions would not be swayed. So instead, with a surprisingly firm voice, he reminded them that he wasn't asking for their approval, merely sharing his plan, then promptly changed the subject. He'd prove them wrong.

* * *

><p><em>Tap pencil. Sift through papers. Scribble down notes. Repeat.<em>

Emiri was determined to finish this work soon. Andrew's bed felt softer than usual today, probably since she hadn't gotten enough sleep the night before. She wanted to get her stuff done before she dozed off for a couple of hours. Andrew was watching her with an amused expression, and she avoided his gaze, a small smile on her lips and pink tingeing her cheeks.

In the middle of writing something down, her boyfriend set his hand gently atop her own, stopping her. She looked up at him, brown eyes wide. "Is something the matter?"

He didn't respond immediately, and his blue orbs looked away for a second. She saw him swallow, felt him squeeze her hand with a bit of pressure. She readjusted her hand and squeezed his back comfortingly. That was when he turned back to her. Now there was something different in those eyes of his, but she couldn't quite place what. It seemed as if he had changed in the moment he'd looked away from her. Worried, she set her free hand against his cheek, feeling if his face was hot. Maybe he wasn't feeling well.

"C… Can I show you something?" Andrew's voice came out just above a whisper.

Emiri studied him, searching for anything that could indicate what was going on, but came up with nothing. She nodded warily, just barely managing to get out a yes.

This time his eyes never turned away, never dodged hers for even a second. "L—" his voice cracked. "Look behind you."

She did as she was told, twisting around to look over at the nightstand. What she was expecting to see was his camera sitting there, aimed on them as they worked. But no, it was… it was _hovering_. She slowly brought a hand up to her mouth, shocked. Quickly she turned to Andrew. "Are you doing that?" she whispered. He nodded, not saying a word. She looked at the camera again, only to see it steadily rising and moving across her, then over to Andrew, who set out his hands and let it descend into his awaiting grasp. She shook her head. "Oh my God."

Andrew clutched his camera, subconsciously feeling its surface with the pads of his fingers in an attempt to calm down his rapidly beating heart. Emiri wasn't looking at him, only looking down at the bed sheets, her eyes wide in… surprise? Astonishment? _Fear_? He crossed his fingers and hoped that it wasn't the last one. "Emiri…?" He'd reach out to touch her, set a hand on her shoulder or curl a lock of her hair or _something_, but he was too afraid to. What if she thought he was a monster?

She turned to him silently, but every time her eyes met his, she'd look away again. Each time it made Andrew's heart pang. So maybe this was it then, eh? The end to his relationship with the best friend he'd met at the new bakery in town? The time they'd known each other felt like so long, yet not long enough. However, all good things came to an end eventually.

But when she hugged him tightly, paying no mind to the camera, it was his turn to be shocked. She nuzzled her face into his chest as he set his camera down and wrapped his arms around her waist. He heard a sniffle, and he looked down to see that her form was quivering as it was racked with sobs. He hugged her closer, eyes clenching shut. He wasn't sure what to say, wasn't sure whether he was supposed to even say anything or not.

"Thank you." If it hadn't been dead silent in the room, Andrew wouldn't have heard her.

"What?"

She pulled away slightly and looked at him with red eyes. "Thank you for trusting me."

There were those who grew out of the stage of fairytales, and then there were those who – _like Emiri, _Andrew noted – grew old enough to believe in them once more.

* * *

><p>Quote I based practically this entire chapter off of. :P -<p>

_Someday you will be old enough to start reading fairytales again. – C. S. Lewis_


End file.
